


Acoustic Love

by wapaksoccet13



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alcoholic Mako, Alternate Universe - Music, Alternate Universe - No Bending (Avatar TV), Best friend Bolin, CEO Asami Sato, Drama & Romance, F/F, Happy Ending, Musician Korra, Wingman Opal
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-09
Updated: 2019-09-13
Packaged: 2020-08-13 10:23:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20172694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wapaksoccet13/pseuds/wapaksoccet13
Summary: Korra came to Republic City straight out of high school, hoping to make it big quickly.  When everything began to fall into place with a new band and a potential new love, it was suddenly ripped out from underneath her.  Years later, Korra is still following her dream.  When someone she never thought she'd see again pops back into her life, how will she handle the twists and turns their arrival brings?  Will she become the rockstar she always dreamed she could be, or will it crumble beneath her once more?





	1. Acoustic Nights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The moments of happiness we enjoy take us by surprise. It is not that we seize them, but that they seize us." - Ashley Montagu

When she moved to Republic City three years ago, Korra imagined her life in such a different life. Everyone who wanted to make a name for themselves in the music industry came to Republic City. From big stages to record companies headquarters, she was sure it was only going to take a couple months to get her first big start. The moment she graduated high school, Korra took all of her savings, bid her parents goodbye, and left to realize her dream of becoming a successful singer. What Korra hadn’t planned for was life’s sudden and immediate turns on the road to stardom.

When she first arrived, Korra only had one friend, Opal Beifong. Thanks to Opal, Korra wasn’t sleeping outside on the cold ground but on a couch in a warm, one-bedroom apartment. It allowed her to focus on her music, both writing and playing. Korra had a folders on top of folders full of sheet music, her mother having ingrained into her mind that if she wanted to be successful then she needed to be original. For now, she knew that covers of popular songs would be about the only way she could get herself started until she found her breakthrough. The covers also allowed for Korra to show how diverse her voice was.

About two months after moving to Republic City, Korra thought she had caught her big break. Opal’s boyfriend, Bolin, and his brother, Mako, were looking for a new singer in their band, the Fire Ferrets. Korra saw it as the perfect opportunity not only to further her music career but to also get closer to Mako. The three of them complimented each other, and their shows continued to grow in numbers. The Fire Ferrets were being hailed as one of the favorite upstart bands coming out of Republic City, and their hard work paid off with a visit from Hiroshi Sato, the CEO of Future Industries, Republic City’s largest record company.

The only catch to the biggest payday the Fire Ferrets had ever seen? Replace Korra with Hiroshi’s daughter, Asami.

To Mako, who saw himself as the leader of the band, the decision was an easy yes. It wasn’t until after Korra was forced from the band that she found out Mako and Asami had been seeing each other for the past couple weeks, and she didn’t know what stung the worst: being kicked from the band you helped to propel into stardom, or watching the person you were falling for replace you with some rich-girl he was in love with. She remained friends with Bolin afterwards, but Opal made it very clear that any mention of Mako or the Fire Ferrets was not to be made in front of Korra.

Unfortunately, that didn’t stop the media from shoving the insults in Korra’s face. While the Fire Ferrets and Mako’s relationship with Asami made the headlines of all the papers, she returned to performing small shows on the streets. Every once in a while, a passerby would throw Korra a couple extra dollars, or an old fan would come up and talk about before the change. As time passed, the pain dulled, but Korra never lost her dream.

Around her twentieth birthday, news began popping up of the breakup of Asami and Mako along with the disbanding of the Fire Ferrets. Hiroshi had been arrested earlier in the year, having been a part of an underground smuggling ring that had threatened to throw Republic City into chaos. As a result, Asami had been pushed to rebuild her family’s company, and it was a wrench thrown into the “perfect relationship,” as Mako had vented one night when he was visiting his brother. He had stopped by after having a few too many drinks with his other friends, but the door to Opal’s room wasn’t enough to stop Korra and Opal from hearing his drunken complaints. After seeing what popularity had done to Mako, Korra was determined not to let the same happen to her.

First came the new haircut. Gone was the long-haired hopeful; in was the bob that came with a large dose of new confidence. Next came her songs. Korra looked over each of her folders, reminiscing in their writings but finding herself improving each of them. Soon she found herself a job as an after-school music teacher, helping to tutor elementary children in various instruments. Not only was it helping to expand her abilities, but Korra found herself falling in love with helping children find their love for music as she had when she was younger.

It was through this after-school teachings that she found her first solid gig, playing every Thursday night at The Temple, a popular hangout next to her favorite restaurant, Narook’s. Tenzin, the owner of The Temple, was one of the few parents who had sat in on Korra’s teachings, having struck up several conversations well after the sessions had ended. He was looking for a local talent to help draw in more customers on his slowest night and saw Korra as that talent; Korra couldn’t say yes fast enough.

Flyers were made; announcements were posted on The Temple’s websites. About a month after Korra started playing, Tenzin saw his business start to flourish at a pace even he wasn’t prepared for. He brought in more help in the form of Bolin, Opal, and a young boy by the name of Kai, who had taken a liking to his oldest daughter, Jinora. Extending his thanks the only way he could, Tenzin offered more days for Korra to play during the week, but only when she was comfortable juggling the performances and her after-school teachings.

It was one of her Thursday night shows that Korra found herself in a small funk. She had spent the majority of her week trying to figure out what to play but had yet to figure out a song that she hadn’t played before. She was well known for playing popular covers of popular songs, but Korra wanted to try something new out tonight. As to what it was, she still didn’t have a clue two hours before she was set to perform.

Walking up to The Temple, Korra looked down at her phone. She had a missed call from Opal, no doubt wanting to find out when her performances were even though they had been at the same time each week since she started these weekly shows. Shifting the strap of her guitar case so it sat closer to her neck, Korra went to respond to Opal when she bumped into the back of someone.

Korra straightened her back and took a step back. “I’m so sorry! I wasn’t paying attention to where-”

“Korra?”

Korra looked up, her deep sea blue eyes meeting emerald eyes framed by long black hair. It was a sight she never thought she’d see again. “Asami?”

Asami smiled softly. “It’s been a long time.”

Korra didn’t know why, but suddenly her throat was very dry. “Uh...yeah. Like almost two years now.”

Korra saw Asami’s smile falter for a moment, but it was quickly rectified. “Yeah. How have you been?”

Korra shrugged. “Alright, I guess. I’m actually heading to my gig right now,” she said, nodding towards The Temple.

Asami looked towards the hangout, turning her attention back to Korra with wide eyes. “You’re playing there tonight?”

“Yeah. I have been every Thursday night for the past year almost.”

“Wow, that’s awesome. I’ve heard a lot of good things about this place.”

Korra smiled. “Thanks. It’s been a long road, but I’ve loved every step of the way.” She looked down at her watch. “I’m sorry about this, but I have to get going. I still have to set-up my equipment and get tuned for the show.”

Asami took a step to her right. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hold you up.”

Korra walked by her, but something in her told her to turn around. She didn’t know what it was, and she knew she needed to keep walking. But she didn’t, and instead turned back around to face Asami. “Look, I know we don’t have the best history, but if you want to, why not come to the show tonight? First set is at nine.”

Asami looked generally surprised at the offer, a soft smile appearing that made Korra’s heart beat a hair faster. “Thanks. I’ll think about it.”

Korra nodded, turning to head into The Temple with a smile that surprised even her. Her newfound good mood was contagious, spreading to the staff and guests alike. Though they knew that she was getting ready for her show, the customers didn’t shy away from Korra with their conversations, and Korra was happy to talk as she worked. She still hadn’t decided on what to play, but with the warming atmosphere, she was sure that whatever came to mind would please the crowd.

“Alright, everyone! Calm down please!” Tenzin said into the microphone he kept by the bar. “I thank you all for joining us for another Thursday night acoustic night. We’re always grateful for the return of our regulars and the welcoming of new attendees, so without further ado, please give it up to the main act, Korra!”

Korra smiled as the light turned to her, adjusting the guitar on her lap as she leaned forward to speak into the microphone. “Thanks, Tenzin.” She looked to the crowd, phones already up and pointed in her direction. “How’s everyone doing tonight?”

Cheers filled the building. Korra’s smile grew, her eyes scanning the crowd. She didn’t usually do this before a show, but something was drawing her attention. After a moment, she finally found it. Standing towards the front of the building was Asami, a drink in her hand. Korra’s heart stuttered for a moment at the sight of the woman, her throat going dry once more. Yet, her mind was clear, and she knew the exact song she had to play.

_ I hope the days come easy and the moments pass slow, _

_ And each road leads you where you wanna go, _

_ And if you’re faced with a choice, and you have to choose, _

_ I hope you choose the one that means the most to you. _

_ And if one door opens to another door closed, _

_ I hope you keep on walkin’ till you find the window, _

_ If it’s cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile. _

_ But more than anything, more than anything _

Korra looked up, and she could’ve sworn she locked eyes with Asami.

_ My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to, _

_ Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small, _

_ You never need to carry more than you can hold, _

_ And while you’re out there getting where you’re getting to, _

_ I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too, _

_ Yeah, this is my wish. _

The crowd roared with love, but all Korra could do was focus on was Asami and the song. She didn’t know why; this had been the woman who took everything away from her when she was first starting to find her footing in Republic City all those years ago. Korra knew she should have some deep hatred towards her, but it wasn’t there. There was something in those emerald eyes that Korra just couldn’t look away from, and for an odd reason, she felt at home.

_ I hope you never look back, but you never forget, _

_ All the ones who love you, in the place you live, _

_ I hope you always forgive, and you never regret, _

_ And you help somebody every chance you get, _

_ Oh, you find’that grace, in every mistake, _

_ And always give more than you take. _

_ But more than anything, yeah, more than anything. _

_ My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to, _

_ Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small, _

_ You never need to carry more than you can hold, _

_ And while you’re out there getting where you’re getting to, _

_ I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too, _

_ Yeah, this is my wish. Yeah, yeah. _

Asami’s eyes never left Korra’s. She never once took a drink of her drink. Her entire focus was on Korra, and Korra’s was on her.

_ My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to, _

_ Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small, _

_ You never need to carry more than you can hold, _

_ And while you’re out there getting where you’re getting to, _

_ I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too, _

_ Yeah this is my wish _

_ This is my wish _

_ I hope you know somebody loves you _

_ May all your dreams stay big. _

The crowd cheered at the end of the song, bringing Korra back to reality. She thanked the crowd before moving off of the stage for the next performer and heading over to the bar. Tenzin slid a drink to her, and Opal was the first to her side, already filled to the brink with questions.

Korra chuckled. “Can’t I get a drink in first before you hound me with your questions?”  
  
“Nope. Now spill. What’s got you in such a good mood? Or should that be a who?”

Korra rolled her eyes, taking another sip of her drink. “Not a who. Just in a really good mood.”

“She’s lying. She’s such a bad liar,” Bolin said as he leaned against the bar on the other side of Korra. “You can see it in her shoulders. She gets too tense when she lies.”

Korra was about to counter when a familiar voice made her entire body freeze.

“That was amazing, Korra.”

Korra turned around, a bit too quickly, to find Asami standing behind the three of them. She noted the now-missing drink from Asami’s hands, but the smile she was met with quickly dispersed the thought. A quick elbow to the side from Opal finally got the gears in Korra’s brain to start working enough to form a response.

“Thanks, Asami. I’m glad you liked it. Are you sticking around for the other performers?”

Asami’s smile faltered, the sadness from her answer bleeding through before she could speak it. “Unfortunately, I can’t. I’ve got to be up early in the morning for a board meeting, but I hope I’m able to start coming out more to these Thursday night shows.”

Bolin threw his arm around Korra’s shoulders. “You should! Korra’s always the first show, and she always manages to pull off some great covers.”

Asami smiled at Bolin. “That’s great to hear.” She turned her attention back to Korra. “Maybe we can catch lunch sometime and talk about your upcoming shows?”  
  
Korra blinked at Asami’s question. “Oh...uh sure.” Another elbow from Opal encouraged Korra to pull out her phone so that Asami could give her her number.

Asami smiled as she handed Korra’s cell back to her. “So lunch then?”

Korra returned the smile. “I’m looking forward to it.”

Asami nodded and turned to leave. When she was out of the bar and out of sight, Opal turned to face Korra. “So that was definitely a who and not a what question earlier.”

Korra could feel her face start to heat up at Opal’s observation. “Shut up. It’s probably nothing.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that. But how about we not tell Mako about this when he gets here?” Bolin said, taking a sip of his drink.

Korra sighed, looking at her friend. “Is he really coming out tonight?”

Bolin nodded. “Yeah. I already gave Tenzin a heads up.”

Korra sighed. Ever since his breakup with Asami and the disbandment of the Fire Ferrets, Mako was downspiraling. His drinking habits worsened, and from Bolin’s tellings, Mako had a new girl over at their house every night he came home from the bars. Korra didn’t know what she had seen in him, but it was a silent relief that it hadn’t gone any farther than it had. She knew that it was a selfish way of thinking, but with how his character was currently, Korra felt it was an appropriate way of thinking.

As if summoned, Mako stumbled through the front door of the bar. HIs hair was tossed in different directions, his eyes bloodshot as he made his way to the bar. Korra could already see a couple of the security guards tense up at his arrival, but they stayed back if only for the moment. The bartenders were already aware of Mako’s drinking habits, quickly declining his attempts at trying to get a drink. Korra watched as he huffed at their responses, moving down the bar towards their group. She straightened as he almost stumbled past them, his drunken attempt at being charming only making Korra feel sicker at the sight of him.

“What’s up peoples?” he asked, almost falling over as he tried to lean against the bar. If Bolin hadn’t been by his side, Korra was sure that he would’ve hit his head on the bar. Again.

“Bro, just how many drinks have you had?” Bolin asked, clear concern written on his face.

Mako pushed his brother away, his eyes narrowing at him. “What’s it to you? You gonna try something?”

“He’s just looking out for you, Mako,” Opal said, a bite to her tone.

Mako turned to her, his tone trying to match hers. “No one asked for your opinion.”

Korra moved in front of Opal, knowing she could handle Mako if he got out of control. “Maybe it was needed, Mako. And maybe you should be going home.”

Mako huffed at Korra. “Is that so?” His eyes scanned her, a sick laugh coming out of his mouth. “This coming from the washout who couldn’t even come close to the fame that I did.”

Bolin moved to stand beside Korra. “Bro. Not cool. That was a low blow.”

Mako’s eyes never left Korra’s, and hers never moved either. “So? It’s the truth.”

“Alright Mako. I think it’s time for you to leave,” Tenzin said from behind the bar. “Or do I need to have a certain phone call with the Chief of Police again?”

Korra watched as Mako’s jaw moved side to side at the mention of the chief, but he could only scoff and stalk towards the front of the bar. The crowd seemed to part like a sea as he made his way out, a quiet hush having come over most of them. Once he was gone, however, conversations were back to their normal levels.

“I’m sorry about that, Korra,” Bolin apologized, a sad smile on his face as he gave her a hug. “I’ll go make sure he gets home and doesn’t start any trouble.”

Korra nodded, watching as he left to follow his brother home. She turned to Opal. “Well, it’s been an interesting night, hasn’t it?”

Opal smiled a little. “I guess it has been. So what are you going to do now?”

Korra looked down at her phone. The power was really in her hands as she pulled up Asami’s contact information. Her thumbs were typing away before she could process what she was doing, but Korra just smiled when the word sent appeared before her.

**K: So about that lunch?**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been interesting writing this so far. Let me know what you think about it.
> 
> Follow me on tumblr: @Libs1317


	2. How About Dinner?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Nobody can hurt me without my permission." - Mahatma Gandhi

Lunch turned into lunches. Lunches became dinners. Days turned into weeks. Weeks became months. Korra never expected to form such a connection with Asami, but she was beyond happy she had. There were so many things that made Asami unique, from her ingenuity in solving any problem set in front of her right down to her sass. Everything about Asami made her smile. Being around the raven beauty made her comfortable.

So why was she so nervous right now as she waited for Asami to meet her at Narook’s for their weekly dinner meeting?

It wasn’t like it was anything new. With Asami’s high profile, they had agreed to go more low-key restaurants for their dinners, and Narook’s just became their favorite one to pick. Their conversations always lasted hours, ending with both of them laughing or riling the other up for one of their respective endeavors. It was always the same, yet tonight was going to be very different.

Korra swallowed as she looked towards the front door for what seemed to be the tenth time. Tonight was the night that she was going to ask Asami to be her girlfriend. She knew that she wasn’t the best when it came to the dating scene, but by taking things as slowly as they had, Korra was able to figure out a few things. Namely, she needed to figure out if she was actually falling for the girl she considered her best friend.

Korra looked down at her watch. It was ten past six. She frowned and looked back towards the door. Asami was never late; even if she was on the verge of being late, she always sent Korra a text or gave her a call. Usually it was because of work and the overbearing board she had to deal with. Korra shook her head, trying to delay any negative thoughts that were threatening to creep their way into her mind.

Another twenty minutes passed by, and Korra’s fears started to build up inside her. She gave a reassuring smile to her waitress before pulling out her phone to check her messages. No missed texts and no missed calls. As Korra pulled up Asami’s contact, she noticed a group of patrons and staff members start to gather around one of the windows. Setting her phone down, Korra moved to join them.

Outside, she could see two people near a fancy car, clearly in some type of argument. It only took a moment for Korra to recognize the familiar black and maroon car, and her body was pushing through the crowd by the door in an effort to move towards the argument. She could feel her body fighting between being relaxed at the sight of Asami but tensing up upon seeing that she was arguing with Mako.

“I already told you, Mako, that we’re done. We’ve been done for quite a while, so I don’t see why there’s a problem.”

“Come on, Asami. You can’t be serious.” The agitation in his voice only fueled Korra’s building fury, but she wasn’t prepared for the bite that came from Asami.

She watched as Asami took a step towards Mako, tilting her head up just slightly to look him in the eye with the promised threat behind her glare never wavering. “We. Are. Done. I have no problem with going to Chief Beifong and getting a restraining order, Mako. She made it very clear last time I spoke with her that she’d have one drawn up in a second the moment I gave her a call.”

“Is there a problem here?” Korra asked, not wanting to see the argument escalate any further. It had been a while since her last self-defense class, but she was ready to use her knowledge at any moment.

Asami kept her eyes on Mako, the challenge in her stare clear as day. “No. We were just finishing up our conversation.” She turned her attention to Korra, an apologetic smile on her face. “Sorry about dinner.”

_ There she goes again, making me my throat dry as a desert.  _ “It’s no problem. We can go somewhere else if you’d like.”

Asami nodded. “Sure. Maybe we can come back another time, without interruption.”

Time seemed to slow as Asami moved to walk towards her. She watched as Mako’s face twisted in anger, his hand reaching out to grab Asami’s shoulder. Korra could feel her body tense up, her foot taking a step towards Asami. As she made eye contact with Asami, recognition passed through her eyes. Korra watched as Asami reached over her left shoulder, took a firm grasp of Mako’s extended left arm, and threw him over her shoulder, a loud gasp sounding through the empty street as his body made contact with the pavement.

As Mako laid on the ground groaning, Asami leaned over him so that he could look up at her face. “And you can bet on that phone call from Lin tomorrow.”

When she straightened up, Korra couldn’t help the smile that was on her face. “Nice throw. When you said you had some training under your belt, I definitely wasn’t expecting something like that.”

A soft blush appeared on Asami’s cheeks. “Dad took me to Judo classes after my mom passed, and we moved on to Krav Maga after I turned thirteen.”

Korra whistled as they moved to the driver’s side of Asami’s car. “Damn, color me impressed.” She looked down at Mako, who was slowly trying to recover, before turning her attention back to Asami. “So about dinner. How about we head back to my place and order in? Opal’s out of town for a conference, so it’s just me at home.”

Korra could feel her stomach fluttering with butterflies at the sight of Asami’s bright smile. “I’d like that.”

While not as fancy as what their date at Narook’s would have been, Korra and Asami made the most of their takeout and a couple B-rated horror movers. As the last of the campy movers ran its credits, Korra took the moment to take their dirty dishes into her kitchen, setting them in the sink before returning to her space on the couch. She wasn’t expecting Asami to curl into her side, but she wasn’t about to let the moment pass her by. She wrapped her arm around Asami’s shoulders and held her close, content with the silence that followed.

“I’m sorry about tonight,” Korra heard Asami say softly, her head not moving off of Korra’s shoulder.

Korra looked down at Asami. “Hey, there’s no need to apologize. If anyone needs to apologize, it’s Mako.”

Asami nodded once, the silence returning as the menu for the streaming service Korra had on appeared back on the screen. A few moments passed, and Korra could have sworn that her stomach was going to jump out of her body from all its twists and turns if she didn’t ask Asami the question that was on the tip of her tongue.

“So uh...why were you two arguing in the first place?”

Asami sighed, but she made no attempt to move from her place next to Korra. “He’s still so bitter about our breakup. He couldn’t seem to understand that I had a responsibility to Future Industries after my father was arrested. Those who were involved with him were punished, but that company is my family’s legacy. There were so many innocent people that were affected, and I couldn’t just let them lose their jobs as well. If it means putting my reputation on the line, then I will, but they deserved better.”

Korra adjusted them so that both of them were laying on the couch but also so that she could look down at Asami as she spoke. “I’m sorry about that. When I first heard about your dad’s arrest and then the breakup, at first I was happy because of how I left the group. But then I began to realize how much of a jerk I was for thinking that way, especially seeing you put up a strong face in front of all that scrutiny.”

Korra could feel Asami tense up at her words. She watched as Asami looked up at her, hurt shining through her eyes. “I am so sorry about that. You never deserved that. You were this awesome singer who got pushed out of something that could have done wonders for your career.”

Korra laughed and gave Asami a small squeeze. “Done wonders? I don’t know about that, but it would’ve helped out a ton moving forward maybe.” She gave Asami a smirk as she leaned her head to the side to rest it on her hand. “But we can definitely talk about how awesome of a singer I am.”

Asami laughed, giving Korra a small shove. “Stop it. Of course you’re an awesome singer. The crowds you pull into The Temple every week is amazing.” Suddenly, Asami’s expression turned serious. “Why haven’t you signed anywhere yet? Any company would make thousands, if not millions, if they had you signed to a deal.”

Korra’s joking mood deflated at Asami’s question. “After I was kicked from the Fire Ferrets, I found myself in a hole. I didn’t want to do anything I loved anymore. I didn’t really have to focus on work to keep me afloat; Opal was pretty adamant on paying for our rent and food. So I did street shows from time to time. Any money I got from strangers went straight to Opal, even though she did fight me on it every time.” She smiled sadly at Asami. “I was a huge mess.”

Korra leaned her head back, looking over the back of the couch towards a group picture that hung off the wall. “I know it’s going to sound weird and kind of mean, but after you and Mako broke up, his down-spiral kicked some sense back into me. So I went out and got my hair cut, and Kya, Tenzin’s sister, helped me get my job as an after-school music instructor. A lot of their instruments I learned with them, but it only helped to build my relationships with my kids.”

Asami looked from Korra to the picture, a group shot of her with several small children all laughing. “If not for my kids and the help Opal and Tenzin’s family gave me, I don’t really know where I’d be. I’m happy where I’m at right now. A big record deal with some big company would be great, but it’s not at the top of my priority list,” she heard Korra finish.

Asami leaned as far back as she could into Korra. “You’re pretty amazing,” she whispered as she wrapped Korra’s arms around her waist.

“What was that?” Korra asked with a smile.

Asami could feel the blush that began to burn her cheeks. “N-Nothing!”

Korra laughed, giving Asami a gentle squeeze. “No I’m sure it was something.”

“It wasn’t anything!”

“Uh huh.”

“Korra!”

Laughter filled the living room as Korra began to tickle Asami. Soon they were in the midst of a couch-wide tickle fight, though Asami was quickly gaining the upper hand. That is until Korra managed to roll them both off of the couch. Good news was that Korra was below Asami when they both landed on the ground. Bad news was Korra was the first to hit. Korra groaned, her hand holding her head like it was the magical remedy to cure her new headache.  _ If only. _

“Korra? Are you okay?”

Korra opened her eyes and found her breath caught in her chest. Asami was looking down at her, her worried expression making Korra’s heart melt at the sight.

“Yeah, but I wasn’t expecting to fall from heaven with such an angel,” Korra joked. It only took her a minute to recognize what she said, but Asami’s laughter dissipated the mental smacking she was sure to give herself when she had a moment alone.

“That was just terrible, Korra. Absolutely terrible.”

“I mean, it can’t be that terrible. You laughed at it.”

And there it was again, Asami’s beautiful smile. Korra could only smile at the sound; it was the best music to her ears. When Asami stopped laughing, Korra assumed that she was going to move off, but Asami didn’t make any indication that she was going to move. Instead, Korra found herself staring up into those beautiful emerald eyes that kept appearing in her dreams. She didn’t know who moved first, but she knew that her head was moving towards Asami’s and Asami’s was moving towards hers.

The softness of Asami’s lips were everything that Korra was hoping for and more. It was a short first kiss, but Korra felt like she was on cloud nine. She smiled against Asami’s lips, earning a chuckle from the other woman. Nothing made her heart soar higher than seeing Asami as happy as she was right now.

“I hope you know I wasn’t lying about the whole angel thing, you know? Because you really are an angel in my eyes.”

Asami rolled her eyes before she softly pressed her forehead to Korra’s. “Smooth talker.”

“You bring out the best. Don’t take this the wrong way, but do you want to stay the night?” Korra could feel her cheeks start to heat up from her blush once more. “I...I don’t really want you to leave tonight.”

When Asami’s lips pressed against hers once more, Korra knew she had her answer. “I would love to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote a pun. In one of my works. This has to be hell or something.
> 
> Or I'm just too big of a fan of Barbara Dunkelman.
> 
> As always, let me know what you think about the work and follow me on tumblr: @Libs1317


	3. Songs about Love Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Part of me aches at the thought of her being so close yet so untouchable." - Nicholas Sparks

“Ms. Korra! Ms. Korra!”

Korra turned to the young girl calling for her. “Yes Nina?”

“Gao keeps taking my stuffie away!”

Korra looked in the direction of the boy in question, hands going to her hips. “Gao, give Alexander back to Nina.”

A pout formed on Gao’s face as he walked over to Nina, handing back the stuffed dog. “What do we say, Gao?”

“I’m sorry.”

Korra smiled, patting the boy on his head before letting the two join the rest of their friends. With winter break only a couple days away, she had decided to hold off on her lesson plans until they came back for their spring classes. It allowed them to have the next few days with their friends before spending the next couple weeks with their families, and Korra could only smile as she watched them play with each other. It also gave her time to think about her upcoming break as well.

With her birthday just around the corner, Korra had invited Asami to join her when she went to visit her parents. It would be the first time Asami would be meeting her parents, and Korra would be lying if she said it didn’t worry her. She knew her mom would absolutely love Asami, but her father was a different story. Sure, Korra and her father would get into arguments about their ideals, but when it came to Korra’s sexuality, it hadn’t really been a topic of conversation. Asami wasn’t Korra’s first relationship with a woman, but it was the first to last as long as they had, which meant a meeting with Korra’s parents were inevitable.

“I think you’re thinking too hard, Korra.”

Korra jumped from her seat, turning to see Asami leaning against the door frame with a bright smile on her face and lunch in her hands. “Oh sorry. I didn’t hear you open the door.”

Asami walked over to Korra, gently pressing a kiss to the side of her head. “I could tell. Wanna tell me what’s on your mind?” she asked as she set the bag of food down in front of Korra.

“Just thinking about next week.”   
  
Asami’s brow raised slightly. “The trip to your parents? What about it?”

Korra leaned back in her chair, checking over at the kids in the corner before returning her attention back to Asami. “I’m just worried about my dad. He and I don’t see eye to eye on some things, but I never really found out if my sexuality was something along those lines or not.”

“Everything’s going to be fine, Korra,” Asami said, kneeling down beside her girlfriend to press a kiss to her cheek. “Trust me, okay?”

Korra nodded, taking Asami’s hand in hers and gently kissing her knuckles. “Still coming to The Temple tonight?”

Asami smiled at Korra, and she could’ve sworn her heart would fly away at the sight of it. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Korra returned the smile. “Awesome. I’ll see you at seven.”

She watched as Asami gave a wave to her class before taking her leave. Asami’s reassurances calmed her nerves slightly, but they didn’t disappear. They kept to the back of Korra’s mind, even as she began her setup at The Temple. Tonight was her last show before the trip, but Korra was excited with the new talent she was going to be able to showcase. Jinora agreed to sing a couple songs with Kai, and one of Korra’s street-performing friends, Tara, was bringing her new band in for a set.

The stage setup was packed with equipment, but a large crowd was already making its way into the bar fifteen minutes before the start of the show. Korra smiled as she saw new faces making their way into the crowd. The night had come a long way since her first show, but it had become one of the most important places to Korra. She was lost in her own thoughts about the night when she felt a familiar hand slide up her bicep, gently giving it a squeeze to pull her attention to its owner.

Korra turned her head to find Asami standing beside her, a bright smile on her face. Her hair was down in its glorious waves; a simple dark red dress hugging all the right curves on Asami’s body. Korra was sure her face was as red as a tomato at the sight of her girlfriend, but she gave a silent prayer to the dark lighting of The Temple.

“You ready for tonight?” Asami asked, leaning into Korra’s side.

Korra nodded, taking a sip of her drink. “Yeah. First song’s in fifteen, and everything’s already set up.”

Asami smiled. “Good.” Her head turned to the crowd, her eyes searching for something or someone. “I think this is the biggest crowd you’ve had since I’ve started coming out.”

Korra turned to look at the crowd, her eyes scanning the familiar and unfamiliar faces. Asami was searching for someone, but she wasn’t sure who yet. “I think it’s the biggest crowd we’ve had since we started doing this night, honestly.”

“Really? I would’ve guessed that you’ve had bigger nights than these.”

Korra laughed. “We don’t usually have anyone to promote besides myself. Sure, we get some guests like Jinora and Tara, but usually it’s just me playing for a couple shows. Every once in a while, I’m able to get the crowd to sing along with me, but I kind of want to keep my voice.”

Asami smiled, leaning in to kiss Korra’s cheek. “That is a good thing. You kind of need it for our late nights,” she whispered in her girlfriend’s ear, earning a burning blush from Korra.

Korra’s arm snaked around Asami’s waist, pulling the taller woman as close as she could. “Later, I promise,” she said, pressing a kiss to Asami’s soft lips.

Asami smiled against Korra’s lips. “You better keep it.”

Korra gave Asami another kiss before she left for the stage. She had known since the beginning of the week what she had wanted to sing first, and just thinking about the song sent butterflies through her stomach. She slipped the strap of her guitar over her left shoulder before making her way onto the stage.

“And here she is! The Temple is proud to introduce your opening act, Korra!” she heard Tenzin say over the speaker system.

Korra smiled as the light turned to her, the crowd cheering at her name. She waved as she took her seat, adjusting the microphone and her guitar as the pre-performance jitters finally disappeared. “Thanks to all of you who showed up tonight. Most of all, I’d like to thank The Temple and Tenzin for continuing to host our Thursday night shows.”

“All my pleasure, Korra,” she heard Tenzin from the back of the bar. “Now give them what they came for!”

Korra laughed as the crowd cheered at his words. “Alright, alright. Tonight is kind of a special night. It’s my last show before I head home for a week to see my parents and to celebrate another birthday.” More cheers erupted from the crowd. “I also have a very special guest in the crowd, and that would be my girlfriend. Please, could you all give Ms. Asami Sato a warm welcome to The Temple?”

Korra smiled as Asami waved to the crowd, taken aback for a moment from the roar of the crowd before giving Korra a playful glare. It gave Korra just enough time to her tempo set, the song flowing out of her as she started to play.

_ This is perfect _

_ Come kiss me one more time _

_ I couldn’t dream this up _

_ Even if I tried _

_ You and me in this moment _

_ Feels like magic, don’t it? _

_ I’m right where I wanna be _

_ Everybody’s talking ‘bout heaven _

_ Like they just can’t wait to go _

_ Saying how it’s gonna be so good, so beautiful _

_ Lying next to you, _

_ In this bed with you, _

_ I ain’t convinced _

_ ‘Cause I don’t know how, I don’t know how heaven, heaven _

_ Could be better than this _

Korra could’ve sworn the building was going to shake from the roar that erupted in response to the song choice, but she couldn’t take her eyes off of Asami. She watched as her girlfriend blew her a kiss, her hands over her heart as she watched Korra.

_ I swear that you’re an angel _

_ Sent to this world _

_ What did I do right to deserve you, girl? _

_ I could stay here forever _

_ I’d be fine if we never _

_ Had to even leave this room _

_ Everybody’s talking ‘bout heaven _

_ Like they just can’t wait to go _

_ Saying how it’s gonna be so good, so beautiful _

_ Lying next to you, _

_ In this bed with you, _

_ I ain’t convinced _

_ ‘Cause I don’t know how, I don’t know how heaven, heaven _

_ Could be better than this _

_ Could be better than this _

Korra watched the crowd sway to the song, many quieting as she leaned back towards the mike.

_ Everybody’s talking ‘bout heaven _

_ Like they just can’t wait to go _

_ Saying how it’s gonna be so good, so beautiful _

_ Lying next to you, _

_ In this bed with you, _

_ I ain’t convinced _

_ I don’t know how, I don’t know how heaven, heave _

_ Could be better than this _

_ Could be better than this _

_ I swear this is perfect _

_ Come kiss me one more time _

Korra could have sworn she saw tears in Asami’s eyes as the crowd cheered. She thanked the crowd and introduced Jinora and Kai before moving off of the stage, her body moving on its own as she made her way back to Asami. Korra only had a moment to prepare, but she caught Asami as the other woman jumped into her arms.

Asami leaned down and kissed Korra hard. “You’re so damn amazing.”

Korra smiled up at her, setting Asami back down on her feet. “Glad you liked the song.”

The next few songs went just as smooth, making Korra’s heart swell at the compliments she heard from the patrons. A few came up to her, asking about future performances and possible shows at other bars. Korra tried her best to keep up with the conversations, taking as many business cards and phone numbers as she could. If she was being honest with herself, it was a bit overwhelming to see how many people wanted her to come to other venues to perform similar nights.  _ Tis the price of making a popular night, I suppose. _

Just as Tara’s band was finishing their last song, Korra went over to talk with Tenzin about their first show after she returned back to Republic City. They had just finished discussing about including new talent when the tapping of the mike sounded through the speaker system. Korra turned her head to the stage, only to find Mako standing with one of the spare guitars. Her spine straightened at the sight, a small fire igniting in her chest.

She turned her attention to Bolin, who had been working as the second bartender for the night. “When did he get here? More importantly, how did he get in here? I thought Tenzin had banned him.”

“I did,” Tenzin answered, looking to Bolin with an unwavering frown. “You need to go take him out.”

“Hey guys,” Mako said into the mike, drowning out the conversations around Korra as she scanned the crowd. “I’m sorry about interrupting this tonight as an uninvited act, but it just seemed like the best time to get this off of my chest.”

Korra found Asami standing on the other side of the bar, her eyes locked onto Mako as Opal tried to pull her away. She could see Asami’s hand clenched into a fist and shaking by her side. Korra began to make her way towards Asami as Mako continued whatever he was doing on the stage.

“For those of you who don’t know, my name is Mako, and I was the lead singer of the Fire Ferrets.” A small cheer erupted, only calmed when Mako held his hand up. “I’m also Asami Sato’s ex-boyfriend.”

The quiet hush that followed made Korra pause, her attention going to Mako as he took a seat on the stool. “Asami, I don’t know if you’re out there or not, but I hope you are. I know we’ve had a lot happen between us, but I’m hoping when you hear this song, we can fix us again.”

Korra’s heart clenched, but she found that she couldn’t move from the spot she stood as Mako began to sing.

_ I don’t wanna know, know, know, know _

_ Who’s taking you, home, home, home, home _

_ And loving you so, so, so, so _

_ The way I used to love you, no _

_ I don’t wanna know, know, know, know _

_ Who’s taking you home, home, home, home _

_ And loving you so, so, so, so _

_ The way I used to love you, oh _

_ I don’t wanna know _

_ Wasted _

_ And the more I drink the more I think about you _

_ Oh no, no, I can’t take it _

_ Baby, every place I go reminds me of you _

_ Do you think of me? _

_ Of what we used to be? _

_ Is it better now that I’m not around? _

_ My friends are actin’ strange _

_ They don’t bring up your name _

_ Are you happy now? _

_ Are you happy now? _

Korra’s fists clenched. This was beyond low, even for Mako. Determined to make her way over to Asami, Korra looked to her girlfriend. She wasn’t going to let Asami continue to listen to this attempt of reconciliation by the guy that put her through hell the past few months. Yet, when Korra’s eyes fell on Asami, her chest only tightened at the sight. No longer was Asami’s hands clenched. Her full attention was on Mako, and gone was the look of anger.

_ I don’t wanna know, know, know, know _

_ Who’s taking you home, home, home, home _

_ And loving you so, so, so, so _

_ The way I used to love you, no _

_ I don’t wanna know, know, know, know _

_ Who’s taking you home, home, home, home _

_ And loving you so, so, so, so _

_ The way I used to love you, oh _

_ I don’t wanna know _

_ And every time I go out, yeah _

_ I hear it from this one, I hear it from that one _

_ That you got someone new _

_ Yeah, I see but I don’t believe it _

_ Even in my head you’re still in my bed _

_ Maybe I’m just a fool _

_ Do you think of me? _

_ Of what we used to be? _

_ Is it better now that I’m not around? _

_ My friends are actin’ strange _

_ They don’t bring up your name _

_ Are you happy now? _

_ Are you happy now? _

Korra could read Asami’s expressions, something that she took pride in. Was it a mix of fear? Or a mix of regret? Of love? Korra didn’t know, even as her feet started to back her away.

_ I don’t wanna know, know, know, know _

_ Who’s taking you home, home, home, home _

_ And loving you so, so, so, so _

_ The way I used to love you, no _

_ I don’t wanna know, know, know, know _

_ Who’s taking you home, home, home, home _

_ And loving you so, so, so, so _

_ The way I used to love you, oh _

_ I don’t wanna know _

The song finished, a quiet filling the space as patrons looked from the stage to Asami or to Korra. Korra vaguely recalled Tenzin yelling at Bolin to get Mako off of the stage; the smile that Mako flashed her way already etching into the back of her mind. What hurt the worst was the look of what Korra could only describe as pity coming from the patrons around her. Her mind flew to the only logical answer as to why she was getting those looks, and her body was already out the front door of the bar. She couldn’t stay another moment under those looks, especially if Asami was one of them.

Korra ran as fast as she could down the street, her legs screaming at her as her feet pounded at the sidewalk. No one could catch her, not even Bolin who was her regular workout partner. She knew the streets too well, and cardio was her best strength. Before she knew it, she was in Republic City Park, the bridge over the river a welcoming sight. Korra made her way down the familiar path below the bridge, taking a seat next to one of the pillars she knew no one would find her behind.

And then she finally cried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am not sorry for this.
> 
> As always, let me know what you think about the work, and follow me on tumblr @libs1317


	4. Songs About Love Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "If you find someone you love in your life, then hang on to that love." - Princess Diana

“Korra!”

Korra lifted her head slightly, wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes. She thought she had heard someone, but her head only pounded in response. She didn’t know how long she had been under the bridge, yet she didn’t want to leave right away.

“Korra!”

Korra lifted her head up. There it was again, someone calling her name. It sounded familiar, but she couldn’t place who it was. Footsteps sounded on the bridge above her, like someone was running. 

“Korra!”

Korra’s breath caught at the voice. It was Asami. She waited under the bridge, listening to Asami moving around above her. The distressed sounds Asami was making Korra’s heart clench, but her body wouldn’t allow her to move. Everything in her screamed to go to Asami, but she couldn’t know if it would lead to more heartbreak.

It was only when Korra could hear Asami crying above that she felt the tension leave her body long enough for it to move from her spot. She was slow and quiet as she made her way up to the path to the bridge, not wanting to scare Asami as she made her approach. Yet the sight of Asami crying on one of the benches broke Korra’s heart even more. Her red dress was wet and covered in mud around the edges, and Asami’s usually-flawless makeup was smudged. She wanted nothing more to comfort the woman, but Korra knew she needed to know if it was worth it first.

“You know, I think it’s probably a crime to let someone as beautiful as you cry,” Korra said loud enough for Asami to hear.

Asami’s head snapped up to look at Korra, a mixture of relief and pain mixing in her emerald eyes. “Korra...I-”

Korra held her hand up to stop Asami. “Please. Stop. I don’t know if my heart can handle it right now.” She looked to the sky, the smell of rain heavy in the air. “We should get you back. It’s about to rain soon, and I’d hate to see that dress get ruined even further.”

“Korra wait.”

Korra turned to Asami. “What is it?”

She watched Asami swallow then take a couple steps forward, offering her hand out to Korra. “Dance with me.”

“What?”

“Dance with me. Just one dance.”

“Asami, we need to-”

“Please, Korra. Just one dance.”

Korra searched Asami’s eyes for any explanation, but none was to be found. She sighed, meeting Asami halfway and taking Asami’s outstretched hand. She put her free hand on Asami’s hip, while Asami’s went to her shoulder. The dancing was slow to begin, Korra trying her hardest to focus on not stepping on Asami’s toes.

_ Take my hand, take a breath _

_ Pull me close and take one step _

_ Keep your eyes locked on mine, _

_ And let the music be your guide. _

Korra looked up Asami, surprised filling her chest. She knew Asami had a voice, but hearing it singing so softly, and to her of all people, made Korra’s heart beat faster.

_ Won’t you promise me _

_ We’ll keep dancing wherever we go next _

_ It’s like catching lightning the chances of finding someone like you _

_ It’s one in a million, the chances of feeling the way we do _

_ And with every step together, we just keep on getting better _

_ So can I have this dance _

_ Can I have this dance _

Her worries disappearing, Korra became more confident with each step, her eyes asking a question only Asami could answer. Her nod of approval was all that Korra needed to take the lead in the dance.

_ Take my hand, I’ll take the lead _

_ And every turn will be safe with me _

_ Don’t be afraid, afraid to fall _

_ You know I’ll catch you through it all _

_ And you can’t keep us apart _

_ ‘Cause my heart is wherever you are _

_ It’s like catching lightning the chances of finding someone like you _

_ It’s one in a million, the chances of feeling the way we do _

_ And with every step together, we just keep on getting better _

_ So can I have this dance _

_ Can I have this dance _

Their dance moved to the top of the bridge, small drops of rain beginning to drop. Neither of them cared, their attention lost to each other.

_ Oh no mountains too high enough, oceans too wide _

_ ‘Cause together or not, our dance won’t stop _

_ Let it rain, let it pour _

_ What we have is worth fighting for _

_ You know I believe that we were meant to be _

_ It’s like catching lightning the chances of finding someone like you _

_ It’s one in a million, the chances of feeling the way we do _

_ And with every step together, we just keep on getting better _

_ So can I have this dance _

_ Can I have this dance _

Their dance slowed, almost to a stop, as Asami’s arms wrapping around Korra’s shoulders and the rain began to pick up a steady pace.

_ Can I have this dance _

_ Can I have this dance _

Asami leaned her forehead forward to rest against Korra’s, her tears mixing with the rain that ran down her face. They stayed silent in each other’s company, neither moving to leave the other. As the moment began to fade, Asami was the first to speak up.

“Please don’t go,” she whispered, her arms slightly tensing around Korra’s shoulders. “I don’t want you to go.”

Korra looked up at her, her heart heavy at Asami’s words. “Asami, what Mako said-”

“I don’t care what he said, Korra. I don’t care about him; I care about you.”

Korra leaned slightly back so that she could look at Asami at a better angle. “Do you mean that?”

Asami leaned forward, pressing a hard kiss to Korra’s lips. “Of course I mean that, Korra. I love you.”

Korra blinked. “You...you love me?”

Asami smiled, taking Korra’s hands in her own. “Of course I do. How could I not? You have this beautiful soul that is always looking to put others before yourself. You always have this confidence to do whatever it is you want, even if it’s not down the original path you planned.” Her hands lifted to gently cup Korra’s face. “And don’t even get me started about how cute you are whenever you get even a tiny bit competitive.”

Korra chuckled, leaning her forehead against Asami’s. “You wanna know something?”

“I wanna know whatever it is you want to tell me, Korra.”

Just hearing those words filled Korra’s heart as she lifted her head to kiss Asami softly. “I love you too.”

The rain began to pick up in earnest, signaling the two lovers to make their way back to The Temple. They were greeted by their friends, reassuring that everything between them was alright. Tenzin reassured Korra that Mako had a lifetime ban and that extra security would be hired for nights that she and Asami were to be at the bar. He also advised Asami to talk to Lin once more about a restraining order against Mako. Korra reassured Tenzin that all of the matters would be taken care of once she and Asami returned from her parents, noting the disapproving look he gave her. She knew that it would be better to get the restraining order before they left, but she didn’t want it to hang over the small vacation to her parents.

Korra was beyond worried about the trip to her parents, but after her talk with Asami at the bridge, her worries weren’t as severe. Her mother, Senna, was beyond thrilled to meet Asami; they quickly bonded over different recipes that Senna had prepared for dinner their first night home. Korra’s father, Tonraq, was a bit more reserved in the conversation. It wasn’t until after dinner that Korra found Asami and her father discussing the inner workings of various cars. Tonraq was adamant that nothing could outpower a muscle car, especially those “fancy cars you rich people are used to driving;” Asami wouldn’t have any of his argument, instead countering with any fancy car “was a muscle car with the right engine in it.” If Korra wasn’t head over heels with Asami before this trip, she certainly was after seeing how at ease the woman was with two of the most important people in her life.

It wasn’t until later in the week that Senna had asked Korra to go shopping with her. When Korra asked Asami to join, Senna was quick to say she wanted some mother-daughter alone time. Asami didn’t mind, encouraging Korra to go with her mother on the trip as they only had a couple more days until they had to return to Republic City. Senna took them to the mall, a bright smile on her face as they walked towards some of their favorite stores. Yet when they walked past two of her mother’s favorites stores, Korra knew something was up.

“Alright Mom, spill. Why are we really here?”

Senna smiled, her hands going behind her back. “How long have you and Asami known each other?”

Korra bit the inside of her lip. “Uh...just a little under three years now. We weren’t really friends until right before we got together.”

“She’s quite the interesting young woman.”

Korra smiled. “Yes she is.”

Korra could see Senna sneak a glance at her daughter. “So when are you planning on proposing?”

It took Korra a moment to process her mother’s question before she stopped on a dime. “WAIT WHAT?”

Senna stopped to look at Korra, a confused look on her face. “What? You’re telling me you weren’t planning on asking her sometime soon?”

“Mom, we’ve only been dating for a few months!”

Senna smiled, turning to her daughter. “Korra, you don’t let someone like Asami slip through your fingers like that.”

Korra’s stomach twisted at the thought of proposing to Asami, nervousness and excitement battling it out with her insides. “I...I can’t....but what if....I don’t…”

Senna laughed, going over to rest her hands on Korra’s shoulders. “Honey, I’ve never seen you as happy as Asami makes you. If you’re waiting on your father and I’s approval, you already know we have it.”

Korra stared at her mother dumbstruck, yet she felt as if her heart was about to burst out of her chest. “I don’t have the money for a ring,” she whispered, earning another laugh from her mother.

Senna winked, taking Korra’s hand to lead her over to the nearest jeweler’s. “That’s why we’re here to find the perfect one. And if we can’t find it here, we’ll go to the next one or the one after that.”

Korra squeezed her mother’s hand. “Mom, I...I can’t do that-”

“Korra, you’re going to pick out the best ring you can for my future daughter-in-law, or she’s going to have to deal with one that I like. I suggest you be the one to pick it out for her.”

Korra shook her head, a couple of tears running down her cheeks as she pulled her mother in for a hug. “Thank you.”

Senna hugged her back before pulling Korra over to the case where a young man was patiently waiting for them with a smile. They spent the rest of their afternoon searching, but Korra was able to find the ring she wanted: a princess cut diamond framed on square platform with 16 round cut diamonds surrounding it with a spiraling band. It was the mixture of simple and complex that Korra was looking for without being overloaded with diamonds; it screamed Asami in all the right ways. Tucked away in a red velvet box, Senna promised that she would hold onto it until Korra knew when she wanted to propose.

Despite Asami’s consistent questioning, Korra didn’t crack. On the plane ride back to Republic City, Korra was treated to the skyline of the city. Asami was fast asleep to her left, leaving Korra to her thoughts. There were so many places she could propose to Asami, but none of them seemed to feel just right. From locations to people, Korra’s mind was busy trying to plan one of the most important nights of her life right up until Asami was dropping her off in front of her apartment.

“Are you going to tell me what’s on your mind? You’ve had that giant smile on your face since we left your parents’ house,” Asami asked once more, leaning forward towards her girlfriend.

Korra kissed Asami softly, earning a soft purr from the woman. “I’ll tell you another day, I promise.”

“You better.”

Korra laughed, getting out with her bag. She leaned back against the door, drinking in the sight of Asami. “Get home safe, ok?”

Asami blew her a kiss. “Always. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Korra watched Asami drive away, waiting until she got to the end of the street and turned out of view before she dropped her bag by her feet. “She’s gone now.”

“Didn’t think she’d ever leave.”

Korra turned to see Mako make his way out of the dark alley to the left of the apartment. He looked worse than before they left, his eyes bloodshot and angry. His clothes were covered in grime, making Korra wonder when the last time he had even made it back to his shared apartment with Bolin.

“She’s looking good as ever,” Mako snickered at her, and it was then that Korra could see his hands shaking.

“What do you want, Mako?”

“YOU TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME!”

Korra narrowed her eyes at him. “I didn’t take anything from you, Mako. Where you’re at is your own fault.”

She could see Mako grind his teeth at her words. “She left me for you of all fucking people. Kicking you from the group had been the best decision of my life, and here you are, stealing everything I earned from me!”

“I didn’t do any of that, and Asami’s decision to leave you was her own. We weren’t even talking when she dumped you.”

“SHE’S MINE!” he snarled, launching himself towards Korra.

Unfortunately for him, Korra was quicker than he was, quickly dodging his attack and causing him to trip over his own feet into the nearby trash cans. She moved back to put enough distance between them both. What she wasn’t prepared for was the gun that he pulled from his pants as he stood up, the barrel of the gun pointed at her.

Mako smiled at her with a look that Korra could only describe as desperate. “She’s mine, and with you out of the way, she always will be.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops. My hands slipped. Figured everyone would love a second chapter after the cliffhanger.
> 
> And then I leave you on this second cliffhanger!
> 
> As always, let me know what you think about the work and make sure to follow me on tumblr @libs1317


	5. Second Chances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "If you are still breathing, you have a second chance." -Oprah Winfrey

“Put the gun down, Mako. We can settle this like civil people.”

“YOU STOLE HER FROM ME! WHY WOULD I WANT TO BE CIVIL WITH THE LIKES OF YOU?!”

Korra swallowed, her eyes darting from side to side. She had the car to her right that she could duck under, but the moment he started firing, it would wake up everyone. Someone could get hurt. She knew she had to calm him down, but right at that moment, she didn’t know what was going to happen.

“If we just talk, we can figure-”

“I’m fucking DONE talking to you, Korra. Can’t you just fucking stand there and die?”

Korra watched his finger move to the trigger, and her flight instincts kicked in. Jumping to the side, she ducked behind the car just as the first shot sounded. She could hear Mako curse at the missed shot, the gun clicking as it loaded the next shot into its chamber. Korra’s heart slammed against her chest as she tried to figure out which way he was moving around the car. The glass above her suddenly shattered as he fired two more shots.

“Why won’t you just die already?!” he shouted as the lights from different buildings began to light up.

_ Shit, shit, shit!  _ Korra moved as fast as she could to the other side of the car, peeking out to see Mako still in the same spot as he waited for her to pop her head up. Her bag and her phone were next to him, cutting off her only way of calling for help. She looked across the street, but the car she was behind was the only one she could hide behind safely. She was pinned, and Mako knew it.

“Mako?”

Korra’s eyes widened in fear, her head peeking around the corner of the car to see Jinora standing in the doorway of her apartment. Jinora wasn’t supposed to be there; she was supposed to be at her parents’ house.  _ What is she doing here?!  _ She watched as Mako began to make his way towards her, and Korra knew she didn’t have much time left.

She launched herself over the car and tackled Mako to the ground. “Jinora, get inside right now!” she shouted as she wrestled for control of the gun from Mako.

She didn’t have the time to see if Jinora followed her instructions; she could only focus on trying to get the gun away from Mako. She was able to force the barrel down between them, maneuvering herself so that she had a better grip on the gun than Mako did. He tried his best to elbow her away from him, but she was firmly planted in their struggle. A pair of hands suddenly grabbed Mako by the shoulders, pulling him back hard. The grip Korra had on the gun was ripped away from her as she was sent flying in the opposite direction.

** _BANG!_ **

Korra landed hard on her back, her head bouncing off the sidewalk as pain shot through her side. It took longer for her eyes to focus, but she could see the clear night sky above her once they did, the pain numbing the rest of her body. There were so many stars out tonight, the moon full of light. She could hear shouting from around her before a woman’s face came into her view. Korra thought it was a neighbor, but there was no way to tell as the sides of her vision began to blur. Lights were flashing around her, but she couldn’t remember what color they were. Something was being said, but she couldn’t hear them. She was just so tired.

So very tired.

* * *

When Korra opened her eyes next, everything around her was white. She looked around her, but it was just an empty room. The last few moments before she closed her eyes flashed in her mind, her hands running down the sides of her body. No blood, but there also wasn’t a wound. It couldn’t be right because she was sure that Mako had shot her. Yet there was nothing.

“Hello?” Korra called, searching for anyone or anything that could give her a hint as to where she was.

As the silence continued around her, the worst-case scenario that Korra was desperately hoping wasn’t real was becoming more and more plausible. Just as it was about to burst, a hand squeezed her shoulder. She spun around fast to find an older gentleman smiling at her.

“Hello Korra. It’s nice to finally meet you,” he said, a warm smile on his face even as Korra moved back to put a foot of space between them.

Korra looked the mystery man up and down. He was shorter than she was, and he looked to be in his sixties or seventies. The man didn’t look like he was there to hurt her; if anything, his presence seemed to have a more calming effect on her.

“Who are you?” she asked, her body still positioned to run if push came to shove.

The man’s smile never wavered. “My name is Iroh. Perhaps you know me?”

Korra frowned and shook her head. “I’m sorry, but it doesn’t ring a bell.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, but who gave you that guitar you play every night at The Temple?”

Korra’s body tensed at the man’s question. No one but Tenzin and his family knew that Tenzin was the one who gifted the guitar that Korra had carried on her back every day since she started playing for his bar. “A friend gave it to me,” she answered, not far from the truth.

The mystery man chuckled at Korra’s answer. “And who, my dear friend, do you think gave it to Tenzin when he was just a small boy himself wanting to learn?”

Korra’s eyes narrowed for a moment before widening to the size of plates. “Wait...Tenzin told me that story once. You’re...you’re General Iroh? Like THE General Iroh?”

Iroh smiled at Korra’s surprise. “I am, though I would prefer you to call me Iroh.”

Korra shook her head. “I don’t understand. Am I dead? Is this how I’m seeing you?”

Iroh waved his hand, and suddenly they were at a picnic set up in the middle of a field. “No, dear girl, you’re not dead. You are, however, in limbo at the moment.” He took a sip of a cup of tea that appeared in front of them, a frown on his face as he looked at the liquid. “As we speak, you’re fighting for your life.”

“How do you know all of this?”

Iroh smiled at her. “Everyone needs their own guardian angels, don’t you think so?”

Korra frowned, looking down at her own body. “I just...don’t understand. What does this mean if I’m limbo? Will I ever get out?”

Iroh took another sip of his tea before setting it on the cloth in front of them. “That is all up to you, Korra. As I said before, you’re fighting for your life. If you choose to stop, then you’ll end up moving on to the afterlife. If you choose to continue, then who knows what could happen. You could go back to the land of the living, or you could remain here until your body dies. The decision is up to you. Though, I have a feeling you’ve already made up your mind”

Korra looked at Iroh, her hands not moving from her lap. “And how can you tell that?”

Iroh laughed, leaning forward towards Korra. “Because, my dear girl, you remind me much of my nephew, and that young man never learned the meaning of defeat, only determination.”

Korra looked at Iroh before looking at her cup of tea. “I...I think I want to live.” Her grip tightened at the thought of her friends and her family. She looked up at Iroh, determination in her heart as she thought of Asami. “I want to live.”

Iroh nodded, a smile bright on his face. “Then go,” he said, waving his hand at Korra.

* * *

And just like that, Korra’s eyes flew open, panic filling her chest as she looked around. She could see she was in a hospital room, but there was no one around her. The machines around her started to beep in protest as her heart rate began to soar. She tried to sit up, but the pain in her side forced her back down onto the bed as two people sprinted into her room. A woman who looked to be in her late thirties ran to her side, trying to calm her down, while the other, a man who looked younger, checked the machines next to Korra’s bed.

“A...Asa….mi…” Korra tried to speak, her voice coming out raspy. She could only assume she had been asleep longer than just a few minutes by the way her voice sounded.

“Korra!”

Korra turned her head to see her parents and Asami standing in the doorway. Her father’s hands rested on both of their shoulders, and she could that all three of them had red eyes. Senna was the first to move, rushing over to her daughter’s side to grip her left hand. Korra didn’t have much strength, but it was enough to squeeze her mother’s hand.

Senna wiped the tears from her eyes. “You had me so worried, honey.”

“I’m sorry, Mom. I promise I didn’t mean to scare you like that.”

Tonraq moved behind his wife, his hands moving to her shoulders. “Please don’t. Making last minute plane trips like this is hard enough on us.” Korra watched him turn to Asami, a small smile on his face. “If not for Asami, we wouldn’t have gotten here as fast as we did.”

Senna smiled, resting her free hand on her husband’s hand. “She sent her private jet down to get us, and she’s even given us access to one of her guest rooms when we’ve had to leave the hospital.”

Korra looked to Asami, a small smile on her face. “Thank you.”

Asami shook her head. “You know there’s no need to thank me, Korra.”

Korra could see Asami trying her hardest to keep herself together in front of her parents, the small shakes in her shoulders the only indication that she was almost to her limit. She looked to her mother, gently squeezing her hand. “Mom, could Asami and I have a minute please?”

Senna looked to the nurses, who gave their approval before the four of them left. Asami closed the door behind them, moving over to Korra’s bedside slowly. She took Senna’s seat, her hands trembling as they wrapped around Korra’s hand.

“How long was I out?”

Asami wiped her eyes. “Three days. Opal called me right after it happened. When I tried to get to you, they had already blocked the street off and sent you to the hospital.”

“And Mako?”

“Sitting in jail on attempted murder charges. Bolin’s the only one who’s gone to see him.”

Korra looked at Asami, gently squeezing her hand. “How have you been holding up?”

Asami tried her best to smile as her tears ran down her cheeks. “I’ve...been trying so hard...but it’s....I thought....”

Korra gently tugged on Asami’s hand. “Come here.”

“But you’re body-”

“I’ll be fine, Asami. Please. Just lay with me.”

Asami nodded, moving to lay beside Korra. Korra wrapped her arm around Asami’s waist, holding her as close as she could. Silence filled the space between them, but Korra didn’t mind. Asami was here with her, and she was alive. It’s all she wanted in life right there in that moment.

“I thought I had lost you,” Korra heard Asami whisper into her shoulder.

“You didn’t though.”

Asami looked up at her. “I didn’t know how I was going to go on if you died, Korra. We’ve only been together for just a small time, but you’ve become my life.”

Korra tilted her head towards Asami’s, kissing her softly. “You would’ve found a way, Asami. Do you want to know how I know? Because you’re the strongest and most determined woman I know.” She cracked a smile as she rubbed her thumb on Asami’s hip. “Well, second-most determined woman.”

Asami laughed, wiping away her tears. “Only second-most? Then who’s the first.”

“I am of course.”

“You’re so full of it, Korra, even when you were that close to death.”

“I’m not though. I had to be that determined if I was gonna make it back to you so that we can get married.”

Asami moved herself so that she was leaning over Korra, confusion on her face. “What are you talking about?”

Korra took a breath and let it out slowly before looking up at Asami. “I want to marry you, Asami. This wasn’t how I wanted to propose to you, but here it is. Will you marry me?”

Asami looked Korra in the eyes, searching for something. When the panic began to build inside Korra’s chest, Asami smiled down at her.

She leaned down to kiss Korra softly, wrapping her arms around Korra’s shoulders. “Of course I’ll marry you, Korra.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And back to your originally scheduled Thursday updates.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who's left kudos, commented, subscribed, and bookmarked the work. I love seeing the stats for this work continue to go up. It's much appreciated. This story isn't like my usually writing styles where I have a set ending for it, but I've very much enjoyed watching how it's evolved so far.
> 
> As always, let me know what you think of the work and make sure to follow me on tumblr @libs1317


	6. Jewelry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The greatest gift you can ever give another person is your own happiness." - Esther Hicks

Korra always thought school had been the most boring thing she had done in her life. There were very few classes that she had enjoyed taking in high school, but everything else had felt like a burden to learn. Not even writing new songs, which sometimes took Korra months to perfect, didn’t feel as draining as wedding planning was, and it was all thanks to the planner they had hired.

Asami had insisted they hire a planner to help get the major details together, and once they had a basis of what they wanted to do, then they could fill in the rest of the details of the wedding. What Korra wasn’t expecting was for the planner to continue to throw ideas into Asami’s head while completely ignoring all of Korra’s suggestions. She held her tongue, however, as the sight of Asami beaming as the wedding was slowly coming together. Korra loved seeing Asami’s genuine smile, the warmth of it filling her heart. It was worth sitting through the planner’s droning voice to see her love so happy.

Though they were planning on having a small ceremony, that didn’t mean others weren’t going to find out. The headlines of every news center in Republic City was about their engagement after Asami allowed the public relations department of Future Industries to issue an announcement. It felt like overnight that Korra went from a somewhat unknown to being the woman engaged to the CEO of the biggest recording company in Republic City. She felt a bit intimidated by the sudden attention of the paparazzi; it was much different from the attention she had as a young starstruck member of the Fire Ferrets.

The paparazzi was only one of the major problems Korra was facing today as she tried her best to blend in with the crowds of Republic City. Traveling with her was Opal and her new bodyguard, Adams. Asami had insisted he go with her for protection, but it left Korra feeling like a small child with a babysitter. Especially since today’s trip was to look for a particular surprise for her fiancee.

“So, when are you going to tell me what we’re looking for?” Opal asked as she walked on Korra’s left.

Korra looked up at the store fronts. “It’s not so much as looking as it is making.”

“What do you mean?”

Korra looked at her friend with a smile. “So about 5 blocks down this street,” she said, pointing down the street to their left, “is the Water Tribe Cultural Center. So we’re kind of deep within the Water Tribe area of Republic City.”

Opal looked around at the buildings. “Ah ok. That makes more sense then as to all the designs and decorations up.”

Korra nodded. “There’s a particular jeweler here that I want to talk to. I’m hoping that he’ll have the materials I need.”

“For what?”

Korra smiled as they walked up to the store she had been looking for. She held the door open for Opal and Adams, following them inside. It was a small shop with three display cases of various rings and necklaces. Adams stood off to the side as Korra and Opal made their way to the cases. An older gentleman made his way out of the back, a bright smile on his face when his eyes landed on Korra.

“There she is!” he announced, moving as quickly as he could around his counter. Korra bent down so that she could return his hug. “I was wondering when you were coming in here, Avatar!”

Opal looked at Korra confused. “Avatar?”

Korra smiled at her before looking at the shopkeeper. “No one’s called me that since I was a tiny little girl, Gramps.”

Gramps waved off Korra’s comments, his smile never faltering. “Sure, sure. But that’s not why you’re here. What can I do for you?”

Korra walked over to the necklaces, her eyes searching the ones in the case. “Still able to do your handcrafted necklaces?”

“Of course. It’s what I seem to sell the most of these days.”

Korra looked at him, her smile turning shy. “I was...hoping you’d make me a betrothal necklace. I got engaged recently.”

Gramps clapped his hands together. “Of course, my dear! I have something started, but I need to grab it from the back.”

Korra and Opal watched him return to his back before Korra turned to face her friend. “His name is Reskah. He’s friends with Tenzin’s mother, Katara, and he used to live in the Southern Water Tribe when I was a little girl. He was like another grandparent to me. He moved to Republic City a few years before I did, so when I got into town, he was the first person I sought out.”

Opal smiled, nudging Korra’s shoulder with her own. “So a betrothal necklace huh?”

Korra nodded. “There’s not too many Water Tribe traditions that go with marriage, but this was the one that I really wanted to do for Asami.”

Reskah walked out, a necklace box in his hands. When he got to the two women, he opened it with a smile. “How about this?”

Opal placed a hand over her chest before wrapping her arms around Korra. Korra laughed, pulling Reskah into the hug. “Beautiful. Thanks Gramps.”

“Asami’s going to love it,” Opal added.

Reskah pushed the box into Korra’s hands. “Then get going, Avatar!”

“But what about-”

Reskah waved off Korra’s attempt to pay. “No need, Korra. Consider this my wedding gift to you and your fiancee.”

Korra smiled at him, tears threatening the edges of her eyes. “Thank you.”

With a shove towards the door, Korra and Opal bid Reskah goodbye, the necklace tucked safely away in Korra’s pocket. Adams was quick to drop Opal off at her apartment before taking Korra home. As she watched the mansion come into view, Korra’s heart warmed. A week after she was released from the hospital, Korra moved in with Asami. Initially hesitant, it was only after she sat down with Asami and Opal and discussed the move that Korra agreed. It helped that Bolin was all for the move as it allowed for him to move in with Opal and take over Korra’s part of the rent.

She bid Adams good night before heading into the mansion. “Asami?” she called. 

The kitchen and common area where Asami did her late night reading was in earshot of the front door, but when Korra didn’t hear a response, she went looking in the deeper parts of their home. The drawing room was empty, meaning that work hadn’t come home with Asami tonight. The pool and nearby baths were also empty as well. The only place outside of their bedroom left to check was the gym, Korra’s second-favorite room in the entire mansion.

By the sounds coming from the gym, Korra could only assume which regiment Asami was working on. She knew that Asami played certain playlists to help her regulate the tempo of her workouts, but Korra couldn’t pinpoint which one she was focusing on tonight. It was an upbeat tempo, but it didn’t have a rhythm that Korra could jump behind. It felt out of focus at points, and it left Korra wondering why Asami was listening to this particular playlist. As she walked into the gym, she found Asami going through her cardio workout.

Korra leaned against the doorway to the gym, watching Asami in silence. Her brows were knit in frustration, her form paying for the lack of concentration. Korra frowned at the sight of how sloppy Asami’s actions were. She wasn’t getting any reward for the workout, instead she was only hurting her progress.

“You know, you’re going to hurt yourself if you keep this up,” Korra called over the music, Asami’s head snapping to her at the distraction.

“Korra!” Asami shouted with a smile, turning the music off as she ran over to her fiancee. Korra returned the smile with a hug, holding the other woman close. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

“I saw that.” Korra leaned back, looking Asami in the eyes. “What’s going on? Your form was way off.”

“Nothing’s wrong.” Korra narrowed her eyes at Asami. “Ok, maybe something is wrong.”

Korra took Asami’s hands in her own. “Asami, you know you can tell me anything.”

Asami sighed, giving Korra’s hands a squeeze. “I’m just...having a difficult time trying to settle something with one of my dad’s old associates.”

“What’s going on?”

Asami walked over to grab her water, taking a swig of it before sitting on the bench in front of Korra. “His name is Amon. He runs a marketing company that my father would use every once in a while. After my father went to prison, I cut off all business with Amon.”

Korra’s brow furrowed. “Why does his name sound familiar?”

“That’s because he’s the face of the Equalists.”

Korra bit the inside of her lip. The Equalists were a group of extremists that had been gaining popularity recently among the middle and lower classes of Republic City. Their goal of equality was admirable, but their actions with going about it were dangerous. Those who became fanatics with the movement were resorting to criminal activities to get their point across. Amon had denounced their actions, stating that the Equalist movement was that of a peaceful movement, but there were many rumors that he was the one orchestrating the fanatics.

“What does he want?”

Asami leaned forward onto her knees. “He wants to resume our business relationship under the threat that if we don’t, then the news outlets might get some information about our ‘business relationships’ with the fanatics.”

“So he’s trying to blackmail you into working with him.”

Asami nodded. “The problem is I can’t see why he needs us. We’re a recording company; if he wanted to get more publicity out, then why not go for someone like Cabbage Corp? From a business standpoint, they’re the more logical way to go.”

Korra sat beside Asami, her right hand taking Asami’s left. “Maybe it has something to do with your dad?”

Asami sighed. “I would hope not. I don’t have any access to his private files when it came to Amon. Even after I became the CEO, his personal locks have prevented me from seeing anything that could help right now.”

Korra wrapped her arm around Asami’s waist, leaning in to kiss her fiancee’s cheek. “I know you’ll figure something out. For right now, how about we think of something happier.”

Asami looked at her with a raised brow. “Like what?”

Korra smiled, pulling out the necklace box. “Like our upcoming wedding.”

Asami looked at Korra before looking down at the box. “Is that…”

“It is.”

Asami watched as Korra opened the box in front of her, her breath catching in her chest. “Korra, it’s beautiful.”

Korra smiled as Asami turned her back to her, pulling her hair to the side so that Korra could put the necklace on her. “It’s a tradition back home for the future spouse to get a stone carved with a unique design for the necklace. Thanks to an old friend, I was able to get one carved with waves meeting a gear,” she explained as she fastened the necklace for Asami. “I thought it explained the two of us the best.”

Asami looked down at the stone before turning her tear-filled eyes to Korra. “I love it. And I love you.”

Korra leaned forward, kissing Asami softly. “I love you too.”

As Korra followed Asami to their room, her thoughts were filled with happiness and worry. Planning a wedding was difficult enough, but with the thought of Amon lurking in the corner, Korra could only hope that it would blow over as quickly as it started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Think of this as the second arc of the story?
> 
> As always, let me know what you think of the work and make sure to follow me on tumblr @libs1317


	7. A Business Deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "A shady business never yields a sunny life." - B.C. Forbes

With the weather starting to warm up once more, Korra found herself helping the staff at The Temple “freshen up” the outside of the building as Tenzin put it. She stood by the ladder Kai was on, watching him add on the second layer of paint to the main sign. Since he and Jinora started taking their relationship seriously, there was a change in Kai that Korra could only smile at. Sure, he and Tenzin still argued about small little things, but Kai was more proactive in helping the business grow while helping to maintain the accepting atmosphere associated with The Temple. As Korra watched him climb down the ladder, the sounds of an approaching person caught her attention.

She turned to find a well-dressed gentleman standing behind her, an easy-going smile on his face that seemed to give Korra weird vibes. “Afternoon, sir. Is there something I can help you with?” she asked.

“Maybe you can,” he answered, the smile unwavering. “Are you Ms. Korra Sato?”

Korra turned to the man, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up straight. “Actually, it’s still Korra Waters as I have yet to be married. May I ask who you are?”

The man bowed. “Amon Toanak, CEO of Twin Imaging.”

Korra narrowed her eyes at Amon. “And leader of the Equalists.”

Amon chuckled. “Not the leader, my dear girl. Only a member who has been helpful with organizing many of our other members into one cause.”

“Says the guy whose face is the main image for the movement itself.” Korra crossed her arms over her chest. “What do you want?”

Amon looked to Korra’s left, presumably at Kai, before turning his attention to The Temple’s sign. “I see you all are hard at work fixing this establishment up before tonight’s showing. It’s been interesting to see how much you’ve helped it grow in the past couple years.”

“It hasn’t just been me. The owner and all of the staff have worked their butts off to see it become the success it is. And you still haven’t answered my question.”

Amon turned his attention back to Korra. “Straight to the point, I see. I was hoping we could do this privately, but from the looks of it, “ he said, his eyes going back to Kai, “it doesn’t seem like it’ll be that simple.” His light blue eyes moved back to Korra’s cyan. “What would you say to signing a recording contract with us?”

Korra raised her brow at Amon. “What are you talking about?”

“Sign with us, and we can guarantee you a successful career away from Republic City.”

“But you’re only a marketing company. How are you going to do that?” Korra heard Kai ask from behind her.

Amon chuckled at Kai’s question. “The answer is easy, boy. We launch our recording department with Ms. Korra here as the face of the startup.”

“That’s not going to happen.”

The three of them turned to the sound of the new voice. Korra was surprised to see Asami walking at a fast pace towards them, agitation written all over her face.

Asami walked straight up to Korra, taking her fiancee’s hand in her own before turning to Amon. “What do you think you’re doing, Amon?”

Amon moved his hands behind his back, his smile still present, yet Korra could see the small cracks in his composure at Asami’s sudden appearance. “Nothing illegal, if that’s what you’re thinking, Ms. Sato. I was just offering an up-and-coming artist a chance at being the new face of new recording department is all.”

“And you thought the best way was to ask my fiancee? Seriously?”

Amon lifted his chin slightly, eyes narrowing at Asami. “I don’t understand why you have such a problem with it, Ms. Sato. She is not signed to your company, and this was a very civil conversation between Ms. Waters and I before you showed up unexpectedly.”

Before Asami could say another word, Korra gave her hand a gentle but firm squeeze. When Asami turned to look at her, Korra shook her head before turning to Amon. “I appreciate the offer, Mr. Toanak, but the answer is going to be no. I’m perfectly fine where I’m at, and I have no intention of signing any deal with any company.”

Amon searched Korra’s eyes for a minute before lifting his hands to adjust his tie. “That’s...disappointing.” He pulled out his card, handing it to Korra. “If you were to change your mind,” he said, casting a side-eyed glance at Asami before turning his full attention back to Korra, “you know how to get ahold of me.”

Korra, Asami, and Kai watched Amon walk back to his car and drive off down the street, neither one of them moving until he was out of sight. Kai excused himself to head inside, muttering about seeing if Tenzin had any other work for him to do inside.

Korra watched as the door closed behind him before turning her attention back to Asami. “Tenzin call you?”

Asami shook her head. “No, Pema did. I was down the corner getting food for lunch and raced out of there as fast as I could,” she said, taking Korra’s hands in her own. “I was worried about what he was trying to do.”

Korra smiled, gently squeezing Asami’s hands before leaning forward to kiss her softly. “You know I can take care of myself, Asami. I wasn’t in any danger, and I know Kai would’ve had my back.”

“I know. It’s just...after everything I just got worried.”

Korra nodded. “I would be worried too. Especially because I think Amon’s new recording department is some type of fraud.”

Asami laughed. “I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks that way about it.”

Korra crossed her arms over her chest. “The problem is I don’t understand why though. What does having a recording department do to help boost the Equalist movement?”   
  
“The most logical point is exposure. Think of how much positive exposure he could spread with a well-known and well-liked artist such as yourself? I hate to admit it, but it makes sense. I just wish you weren’t being pulled into it like this,” Asami explained.

“I’ll be fine.”

Asami looked down at her watch. “I’ve got to get back to work.” She leaned in to give Korra a kiss. “Dinner on me tonight?”

Korra smiled. “Sounds like a plan.”

As she watched Asami leave for her office, Korra pulled out her phone and looked into her contacts list. Finding the contact named Rock Head, she hit the dial button on her phone and pressed it to hear ear.

It took a couple seconds, but Korra smiled when the call was answered.  _ “Kuvira speaking.” _

“Hey there. You busy?”

_ “Not really. Just finishing up some paperwork. Is this going to interrupt my dinner plans tonight?” _

Korra looked down the direction Amon had left in. “Depends on what you can tell me about Amon Toanak.”

* * *

After hours of searching, what Kuvira was able to find disturbed Korra. There was nothing before the founding of Twin Imaging. When it came to the company itself, they had no marks against them, and there were no hints of illegal activity. Anytime they were given large donations from any type of bigshot, it was spent towards large charitable events that were free for the public to attend. Tabloids had spent millions trying to uncover who Amon really was before, but none had. And now Korra could see why.

“It’s like he’s a ghost or something,” Kuvira said, tossing her file onto the table. “Even now, there’s like nothing to the man. Sure, I’ve got a home address, but nothing else. Not even a car payment on that very expensive car he drives around the city.”

Korra looked down at the files, her thoughts flying around in her mind. She knew what some of his motives towards dealing with Asami were about; the blackmailing and the past dealings with Hiroshi Sato gave some insight. She could also see why he would’ve approached her for his department playing into trying to get back at Asami. What Korra couldn’t understand is why he was even starting to do any of this right now. It had been years since Hiroshi’s arrest; why wait almost two-and-a-half years to try anything now?

“Korra?” Kuvira asked, snapping her fingers in front of Korra.

Korra blinked, turning her attention back to Kuvira. “Sorry, what?”

“You alright over there?”

Korra sighed. “I don’t know really. None of this is making any sense really.”

“Well let’s hold off on this investigation for another day, alright? Show time’s soon,” Kuvira said, holding up her phone to show Korra the time.

Korra rubbed her hands against her face. “Thanks. I’ll be sure to tell Opal you said hi.”

Kuvira laughed. “Tell her to give her sister a call every once in a while instead of having her friends relay the message for her.”

Korra smiled as she stood. “She’s just been busy with the moving and her schooling. Double majoring in social work and business management can eat up a lot of free time.”

Kuvira waved her hand. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I hear it from Su all the time. Now get going before Tenzin’s wondering where his star is at.”

Korra waved goodbye before heading out of the coffee shop and back towards The Temple. Lost in her thoughts, Korra hadn’t realized the size of the crowd until she was having to fight her way to the front doors. She recognized quite a few faces, but there were too many of them. As far as Korra knew, there wasn’t supposed to be a themed night, so to see so many people showing up for the show was encouraging. As she made her way inside, Korra found Jinora waving her down from the bar.

“Hey, what’s up? All the equipment already set up?” she asked once she had pushed through the crowd.

Jinora nodded. “Just as the crowd starting coming in, thankfully. Dad’s excited about the size of the crowd tonight.”

Korra looked around, nodding. “There wasn’t supposed to be a special theme tonight, right? Just our show?”

Jinora smiled. “Yupp. Dad called in the twins to help out, so Opal’s going to have her hands full making sure they do their jobs tonight.”

Korra laughed. “It’ll be fine. They always keep the crowds from getting too rowdy.”

“Well hopefully they won’t have to do that,” Korra heard Asami say from behind her right before her fiancee’s arms wrapped around her shoulders.

Korra turned her head to place a kiss on Asami’s cheek. “Hey there. How was work?”

Asami frowned. “Boring but necessary meetings all day. Last quarter dropped, so some of the board members are getting fussy.”

“Don’t you have some new talent coming in to record in the next couple weeks?”

Asami shook her head. “They had some infighting going on and disbanded. So now the lawyers are having to go through their contract too see if we have to take any action on our side, which we probably will have to since they didn’t even record one song with us.”

“Sounds like a hard week overall. How about we take this weekend to go on a small vacation? Anywhere you want to go.”

Asami smiled, kissing Korra softly. “That sounds like a wonderful idea. How about you go get your show done, and we can talk about it tonight when we get home.”

Korra gave Asami one last kiss before grabbing her guitar and walking onto the stage. She silently thanked Tenzin for extending the stage out to allow for larger bands, which in turn allowed for her to feel more comfortable with where she sat on nights like these.

“How’s everyone doing tonight?”

A roar answered Korra, and she answered with a smile.

“Good to hear! To start tonight out, I want to dedicate my first song to Asami Sato. Babe, I love you.”

The cheers of the crowd were louder than Korra’s guitar, but her focus was on the beautiful raven-haired beauty in the back. Nothing but love were in Asami’s emerald eyes, filling Korra’s heart until it felt like it was going to burst.

_ What if I told you that I think you’re perfect? _

_ Beautiful sky in your eyes, it’s so worth it _

_ I know _

_ You make me feel alive _

_ What if I told you that I’m in forever? _

_ Nothing to hide, yeah, I’ll go wherever _

_ You would go _

_ You make me feel alive _

_ And I’ll be hanging on _

_ Every word you say to me _

_ Hanging on a feeling that I get _

_ ‘Cause you make me _

_ Laugh a little louder _

_ Love a little harder _

_ And I feel alive when I’m with you _

_ Every time it’s something new _

_ Never knew what love could feel like _

_ Until I walked away the first time _

_ And I feel alive when I’m with you _

_ Deep inside, it’s something true _

_ You’re the only reason I fight _

_ You’re the best thing in my life _

The crowd was clapping along to the beat of the song, fueling the love in Korra’s heart as she stood up to play.

_ What if I told you that I’d never hurt you? _

_ Always be there for you to hold on to _

_ I know _

_ You make me feel alive _

_ And every single second’s _

_ A lifetime memory _

_ I’ll be holding on each moment _

_ ‘Cause you make me _

_   
_ _ Laugh a little louder _

_ Love a little harder _

_ And I feel alive when I’m with you _

_ Every time it’s something new _

_ Never knew what love could feel like _

_ Until I walked away for the first time _

_ And I feel alive when I’m with you _

_ Deep inside it’s something true _

_ You’re the only reason I fight _

_ You’re the best thing in my life _

Korra could vaguely hear the cheers of her name sounding throughout the crowd. As she leaned forward back towards the microphone, her hand still and caused the crowd to quiet.

_ And I feel alive when I’m with you _

_ When I’m with you _

Korra laughed as the crowd cheered before she resumed playing.

_ And I feel alive when I’m with you _

_ Every time is something new _

_ Never knew what love could feel like _

_ Until I walked away the first time _

_ And I feel alive when I’m with you _

_ Deep inside it’s something true _

_ You’re the only reason I fight _

_ You’re the best thing in my life _

Korra was sure she was going to go deaf at the cheers that came after she ended the song. As she scanned the crowd, her cyan eyes met with light blue eyes. A familiar set that caused her to stop where she stood. As the crowd became softer, the owner of the light blue eyes continued to clap. Korra’s grip tightened on her guitar as the owner of the eyes made his way closer to her stage. The crowd seemed to part like the sea, allowing the man to walk up to Korra with no resistance.

“That was quite the performance, Ms. Waters,” Amon said, a bright smile on his face.

Korra narrowed her eyes at him. “What do you want, Amon? As you can see, we’re in the middle of a show.”

Amon nodded once. “And I apologize for the intrusion, but you did not give me an answer earlier. Will you sign with my recording department?”

Murmurs began to rush through the crowd at Amon’s question. Korra could see the questions on their eyes as they looked from him to her, the knot in her chest building.

“Why would she need to sign with your recording department when she already has a contract with Future Industries, Amon?”

Korra was startled by Asami’s voice, surprised to find her standing beside Korra on stage.

Amon narrowed his eyes at Asami. “Just what are you talking about, Ms. Sato? As far as I was aware, Ms. Waters hadn’t signed any type of contract with you or your representatives.”

Asami gave Amon a smirk, taking Korra’s hand in her own. “We were planning on announcing the new contract in a couple days, but it seems like our earlier answer wasn’t enough for you.”

A gentle squeeze to Korra’s hand snapped her out of her confusion. She looked back to Amon, shrugging at the fuming man. “I’d rather go with the company that has experience with recording than a startup at a marketing company.”

Amon looked between the two of them, the anger clear in his eyes. “This isn’t over,” he vowed before storming out of The Temple.

And for the first time since meeting the man, Korra was sure that he would keep that promise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Technically a day late, but it was because I was finishing up the chapter with some new thoughts.
> 
> As always, let me know what you think of the chapter and be sure to follow me on Tumblr @libs1317


End file.
